Enhanced Distributed Energy-Efficient Clustering (DEEC) Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks: A Modular...

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Network Engineering

Background:

• Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are crucial for applications like environmental monitoring and the Internet of Things (IoT).
• Energy efficiency is a major challenge in WSNs due to the limited battery power of sensor nodes.
• The Enhanced Distributed Energy-Efficient Clustering (DEEC) protocol is widely used but struggles in dynamic environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel, modular implementation of the DEEC protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks.
• To address the limitations of the standard DEEC protocol in dynamic and heterogeneous environments.
• To enhance energy efficiency and network lifespan in WSNs.

Main Methods:

• Developed a modular implementation of the DEEC protocol.
• Incorporated realistic energy models and supported heterogeneous nodes.
• Implemented load balancing and dynamic cluster head selection.
• Conducted numerical simulations using MATLAB®.

Main Results:

• The improved DEEC protocol achieved a 133% longer stability period (1166 vs. 472 rounds).
• Network lifetime was nearly doubled (4000 vs. 2111 rounds).
• Significantly enhanced overall energy efficiency compared to the standard DEEC.

Conclusions:

• The proposed DEEC enhancements provide a robust solution for modern WSN and IoT applications.
• The protocol effectively overcomes the limitations of standard DEEC in dynamic and heterogeneous settings.
• Demonstrated significant improvements in network stability, lifetime, and energy efficiency.